Electric signal for fishing

ABSTRACT

An electrical signal for fishing and including a battery case, batteries, and an electric bulb. Two electric contact members are supported on the case, and one of the members is of a cantilever structure extending laterally of the case and having a hook on the extending end for draping the fish line over the hook. When a fish pulls on the line, the line in turn pulls on the hook and the cantilever type electric contact member to close contact points and energize the light bulb to signal the fisherman.

United States Patent 91 Barrows [4 1 Jan. 16, 1973 1 1 ELECTRIC SIGNALFOR FISHING [76] Inventor: Guy G. Barrows, 3305 Spring Street, Racine.Wis. 53405 [22] Filed: March 25, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 128,008

[52] US. Cl. ..340/279, 43/17, 340/283 [51] Int. Cl. ..A0lk 97/12 [58]Field of Search ..340/279, 282, 283, 272; 43/17, 43/16 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,283.438 11/1966 Wagner ..43/l7 2,538,788l/l95l Massino ...43/l7 2201.588 5/1940 Kuhns t= ..43/l7 PrimaryExaminer.lohn W. Caldwell Assistant Examiner-Glen R. Swann, lllAttorney-Arthur .1. Hansmann [57] ABSTRACT An electrical signal forfishing and including a battery case, batteries, and an electric bulb.Two electric contact members are supported on the case, and one of themembers is of a cantilever structure extending laterally of the case andhaving a hook on the extending end for draping the fish line over thehook. When a fish pulls on the line, the line in turn pulls on the hookand the cantilever type electric contact member to close contact pointsand energize the light bulb to signal the fisherman.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures ELECTRIC SIGNAL FOR FISHING BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Electric signals for fishing are already known in the art ofproviding devices for signaling fishermen when the fish line isunattended. Such devices include electric light signals and audiblesignals, such as buzzers. These devices are commonly mounted inpositions which permit either the fish line or the fishing pole to be incontact with the device such that when a fish pulls in the line, thenthe contacts of the device are closed and the signal is energized.

However, the electric signals known heretofore are complicated in theirstructure and are also arranged so that they do not permit easyconnection of the device with the fish line and more importantly, theydo not permit the fish line to be immediately disengaged from the deviceso that the fisherman can jerk up on the line or otherwise pull in thefish. Further, the prior art devices are not of the required sensitivityto respond to the nibbling of the fish on the line, and thus the devicesdo not operate to give the earliest signal of the presence of the fish.U. S. Pat. No. 3,020,664 shows one prior art device which is constructedand used in relationship to the entire fishing pole, and the devicetherefore is sufficiently insensitive so that the weight of the pole canbe supported on the device without closing the electric circuit, andthen the pull on the line must obviously be a large force in order toclose the contacts of the device to energize the electric signal. Suchdevices are insensitive, in addition they are complex and requirespecial considerations such as the particular weight of the pole, theparticular way in which the pole and/or fish line are connected to thedevice, and other limitations are inherent in these prior art devices.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved electric signaldevice for fishing. More specifically, it is an object of this inventionto provide an electric signal device which is simple to manufacture,easy to install and use, and which is inexpensive but yet relativelyreliable in its operation. 7

Still more specifically, it is an object of .this invention to provide afishing device which is highly sensitive so that it signals the initialnibbling of the fish at the bait on the fish line. In accomplishing thisobject, the device is arranged so that only the fish line is in contactwith the signal device, and the least amount of pull on the fish linewill activate the device to create the signal desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electric signal devicewhich has the aforementioned features and which is also adjustable sothat the sensitivity of the device can be set for various fishingconditions and various types of fishing itself.

Still further, an important object of this invention is to provide anelectric signal device for fishing wherein the fisherman can immediatelyretrieve the fish line once the signal has been energized and therebyrevealed the presence of a fish. In accomplishing this object, thedevice is arranged so that it engages only the fish line and the fishline and pole can be immediately and directly lifted upwards, withoutany manipulation to otherwise disengage the fish line from the device,and thus the fisherman can immediately pull in the line in the desiredrapid manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view ofthis device and showing it with a diagramatic showing of a fishing poleand line.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of one of the contact members shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a fragment of another of the contactmembers shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of an insulation member shown in FIG.1.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the device supported on a differentmounting from that shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows anelectric power unit, generally designated 10, and including a tubularcasing 11 housing two batteries 12 and an electric bulb 13. A suctioncup 14 is releasably attached to the bottom of the casing 11, and thusthe power unit can be fixedly positioned on a flat surface and therebyheld in the upright position shown in FIG. 1. A casing cap 16 isthreaded into the housing along the threaded portion designated 17, andthus the cap 16 can be removed from the remainder of the casing 1 1 forthe insertion of the batteries l2 and bulb 13. An electric insulationblock 18 is disposed intermediate the portion of the cap 16 and aportion 19 of the casing 11. Also, an electric insulation washer 21 isdisposed as a part of the casing I l as hereinafter more fullydescribed. 7

The casing 11 is thus shown to be tubular, and it may actually be acylindrical piece having the hollow interior for the reception of thebatteries, the bulb, and the like.

Two electric contact members 22 and .23 are mounted on the casing 11 andextend laterally thereof in a cantileverfashion as shown. These twomembers are preferably of a metallic material being electricallyconductive and they are of a flat'spring material in the embodimentshown. Thus it will be now seen that the lower contact member 22 isinsulated from the casing portion 19 by means of the insulating washer21 and the insulation casing piece 18. Also, the contact members 22 and23 are therefore insulated from each other by means of the piece 18. Toassure thatthe extending ends of the contacts 22 and 23 are aligned witheach other with one over the other, as shown in FIG. 2, the insulatingblock 18 may be provided withprojections 24 which key with key holes 26in the ring portions 27 of the contact members 22 and 23. The members.22 and 23 have contact points 28 and 29, respectively, and these pointsare axially aligned with each other to make electric contact when theupper member 23 isflexed downwardly. Also, it will be seen that thecontact point 29 is an adjustable point in that it is the lower end of ascrew 31 threadedly extending through a nut 32 affixed to the member 23.Thus the gap or spacing between the points 28 and 29 can be set to thedesired positions so that the desired amount of force and displacementrelative to the member 23 will affect the closing of the contacts 28 and29 to energize the signal which is the electric bulb 13.

Thus the extending end of the member 23 has an upwardly open hook 33over which the fish line 34 is draped and extends downwardly from thehook 33, as shown in FIG. 1. Of course the line 34 would be suitablysupported, such as by the fish pole 36 which in turn is leaning againsta support, which may be a tackle box 37. That is, the fish pole handle38 may be on the ground or floor support and the remainder of the pole36 is extending angularly upwardly, as indicated in FIG. 1, and the line34 is then positioned upwardly to be draped over the hook 33. The line34 also has a section 39 which extends from the end of the pole 36 anddownwardly into the water, all in a usual and obvious manner withrespect to the pole and line.

It will then be understood that when a fish nibbles at the line 34, theline will pull downwardly on the hook 33 and this will flex the contactmember 23 to where the contact points 28 and 29 touch each other andthereby complete the electric circuit. The electric circuit may bearranged such that a wire 41 extends from the bottom of the lower of thetwo batteries 12 and up to the contact 22 where it is connectedelectrically. Thus the contact 22, being connected to the batteries 12will serve to complete the electric circuit when the contact points 28and 29 touch each other and the bulb 13 is in electric contact with theelectrically conductive casing cap 16 which in turn is in contact withthe electric contact member 23 carrying the contact point 29.

The cap 16 is provided with side openings, such as the opening 42, andthe bulb 13 is adjacent the opening 42 so that the light from the bulbcan be readily seen in a horizontal direction. Also, the cap has a topopening 43 for further revealing the light from the bulb 13. Awaterproof material at 44 is interposed between the bulb 13 and the cap16 to prevent water from entering the openings 42 and 43.

FIG. 6 shows that a different mounting or support can be used forholding the casing 11, and in this instance a pedestal 46 is on a standor prongs 47 which can be stood up or inserted into the shore sanditself. The casing 11 is then on the upper end of the pedestal 46, and alaterally extending arm 48 is connected to the pedestal 46 and extendsto the terminal end which presents a crotch 49 for supporting the fishpole 36 in the inclined position described and indicated in FIG. 1.

In the use of the device in both the FIG. 1 and the FIG. 6 arrangement,the pole 36 is disposed laterally offset from the devices hook 33. Thusthe line 34 is draped downwardly relative to the hook 33 and isextending from a laterally offset position to engage the hook 33. Withthese arrangements, the pole 36 can be immediately jerked up when thefisherman desires to pull in the line in response to the nibbling on theline and the consequent activation of the light bulb 13. He need notun-hook the line 34 from the device, and he does not even have tomaneuver the pole 36 to avoid the device since the pole 36 is alreadyclear of the device. Further, the arrangement is such that the slightestull on the line 34 will flex the contact member 3 to close the contactpoints 28 and so the device is desirably sensitive. Still further, boththe contact members 22 and 23 are flexible, and thus an extended pull onthe line 34 and the consequent extended flexing of the contact member 23will only cause flexing of the member 22 and no parts will be disruptedor damaged.

The contact member 22 is thus insulated from the casing 11, includingthe cap 16, and the wire 41 is used to make contact to the member 22.However, the casing 11 itself could also be used for conducting current,if desired, and the arrangement would then be somewhat different fromthat shown but it would simply be such that the two contact members 22and 23 are insulated from each other in a well-known manner.

What is claimed:

1. A signal for fishing, comprising an electric power unit having acasing and an electric battery and an electric signal member responsiveto the flow of electric current from the battery, a pair of electriccontact members mounted on said casing in spaced apart relation of oneabove the other and both being cantilever mounted spring members andflexible toward the away from each other for electrically closing andopening the electric circuit, an upwardly open hook on the extending endof the upper one of said contact members for receiving a fish linedraped thereover and extending therefrom in the direction of flexingsaid upper contact member downwardly toward the lower one of saidcontact members, said contact members each having an electric contactpoint for mutually touching with each other to close the electriccircuit and activate said signal when said upper contact member isflexed by a pull on the fish line.

1. A signal for fishing, comprising an electric power unit having acasing and an electric battery and an electric signal member responsiveto the flow of electric current from the battery, a pair of electriccontact members mounted on said casing in spaced apart relation of oneabove the other and both being cantilever mounted spring members andflexible toward the away from each other for Electrically closing andopening the electric circuit, an upwardly open hook on the extending endof the upper one of said contact members for receiving a fish linedraped thereover and extending therefrom in the direction of flexingsaid upper contact member downwardly toward the lower one of saidcontact members, said contact members each having an electric contactpoint for mutually touching with each other to close the electriccircuit and activate said signal when said upper contact member isflexed by a pull on the fish line.